English Dub Review: Mieruko-chan “The Things She Sees”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

There’s no such thing as a normal shopping trip, as far as Miko’s concerned. Later, a misunderstanding on Miko’s part causes her to rethink her non-approach to ghosts.

Our Take:

When it comes to something like Mieruko-chan, nothing is sacred. Not even an ordinary shopping trip. For this episode, the plot is split into two separate storylines, both of which has Miko encountering different types of ghosts. The first half of the episode focuses on Miko and her brother Kyousuke shopping for a birthday present for their mother. Then, the second half sees her encountering a different spirit surrounding her teacher on maternity leave.

This narrative has already been done in the show’s fifth episode, “She Sees Them, Too”, representing Miko encountering Yulia and Miko helping a woman with poor memory. While that episode had its share of moments regarding Miko’s ability, the narrative did feel sidetracked by its filler second half. Its eighth episode happens to have the same issue, but only in its first half. However, since it has a couple of moments that outshine its filler mini-plot, I’m willing to let this one slide as well.

The first half of “The Things She Sees” doesn’t offer anything that impacts the season’s arc. It only focuses on Miko and Kyousuke shopping for their mother and encountering the attendant spirit and an axe-wielding ghost on a train. While it’s still humorous to see Miko ignoring another set of ghosts, this segment is an unnecessary distraction that doesn’t affect the overall plot if removed. The only shining moment that I enjoyed from the first half was Miko’s encounter with the axe-carrying ghost during the train ride. It delivered a suitable amount of intensity that represents Miko’s fear of getting “killed” by the spirit’s axe.  

The episode’s second half is where things picked up a bit. After Miko sees a kinder ghost surrounding her teacher’s womb, she begins to question her ability and her approach to handling it. This moment was something that we’ve been waiting for since its second episode. It provides enough character growth for Miko to realize her purpose regarding her gift. Whether or not she’ll try to help or confront them later on is anyone’s guess, but based on her encounter with a spirit by the vending machine, it looks like she isn’t ready to face them yet.

Overall, “The Things She Sees” doesn’t quite advance the plot entirely, but it does offer some brief hints of what’s to come in the later episodes. Despite the first half being unnecessary filler, the episode provides enough enjoyable moments in its humor and plot to continue the show’s spooky season with ease. We can now assume that the next few episodes should turn up the heat thanks to the arrival of a familiar person from an earlier episode.